Laveni Vaka is used to being first. She’s Tonga’s first woman soccer player to turn professional, she was among the first players to be drafted by an NWSL expansion club, and now, she will join Fort Lauderdale United FC as the team’s first signing in the brand-new USL Super League.
“The staff is amazing, and what they’re trying to build there, including a new stadium, it just feels really exciting,” Vaka said. “My twin sister plays for the University of Florida, so it just felt like it was meant to be.”
Despite all the firsts, Vaka’s soccer journey is less straightforward than it may initially appear. After five successful seasons at BYU, the defender was selected by expansion side Bay FC as the very last pick in the 2024 NWSL Draft but waived during preseason.
“That was hard,” Vaka said, reflecting on her time with Bay. “Going into preseason camp, it was obviously more intense than college. When you become the best player in college and then you go to a team that is just as good if not better than you, it was mentally tough on me.”
After being waived, Vaka faced a crossroads. She turned down an offer from a team in Europe, but continued to train, unsure of her next move. There was even a time when she thought she was done with soccer, but when the USL Super League came along with its Division I sanctioning, Vaka knew she had to say yes to this opportunity – and Fort Lauderdale head coach Tyrone Mears is certainly glad she did.
“We were really impressed with Laveni’s playing career at BYU, one of the top soccer programs in the country,” Mears said. “She’s calm, cool and collected on the ball and just as impactful on the defensive and attacking side and that’s what we are looking for out of our back line. We expect Vaka to be an immediate impact player for us.”
Vaka, who has played soccer since the age of 6, has always felt passionate about the beautiful game. As she found herself weighing her options after getting waived by Bay FC, it was her love of the game that kept her going. Soccer pushes her mentally and physically, and keeps her motivated to do hard things.
“Thinking back to why I wanted to keep playing soccer,” Vaka said. “It was to prove to my younger self [that I could] and show love to my younger self who grew up playing.”
As she readies herself to join her new team this summer, Vaka is preparing to use not only her technical skill, but her experiences as a trailblazer to help put Fort Lauderdale on the map. The Utah native has made multiple appearances for the Tonga National Women’s Team since 2018, including scoring an international goal at the age of 16.
“It hasn’t quite hit me yet – I talk about it often, but I don’t think about it often,” Vaka said of being the first Tongan woman to play professional soccer. “It’s an honor for me to hold that title and I just hope other Polynesian little girls and boys can hopefully follow in my footsteps and get into soccer because there aren’t a ton of us out there.”
With the USL Super League, there are now even more opportunities for women to play professionally in the United States, and Vaka is looking forward to helping set the tone for this new league.
“I know players coming out of college now will look to me and the other USL players as an example, to see how this league goes in the first year,” she said. “I’ve already had some college girls ask me about the league, so I’m just excited to share more about the league and these new opportunities.”
Off the pitch, Vaka is extremely family-oriented. She is also an avid musician who can play the piano, organ, and flute. Ironically, she hates the heat, but she’s ready to brave the hot and humid climate of Florida to help contribute to a new, exciting team in Fort Lauderdale.
“This is a trailblazing league that is providing more opportunities for women, and it’s so exciting to have a professional women’s soccer team in Fort Lauderdale,” Vaka said. “I can’t wait to meet the fans who will come out and support us.”